The proposed conference, "Building Bridges IX: Using Research to Build an Accountable Health Care System" will continue the rich dialogue begun in 1995 with the first Building Bridges conference. The 2003 conference will take place in Atlanta, GA at the Marquis Marriott on May 1-May 2, 2003 with a pre-conference workshop and reception held on April 30th. This conference marks the ninth year of this collaboration between AAHP and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) joined the collaborative in 1997, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) joined for the first time in 2000. The goal of the collaborative is to present a research conference that brings together researchers from managed care, government, academic medical centers, and policy groups. The theme of the 2003 Building Bridges research conference is "Using Research to Build an Accountable Health Care System." Recent conferences, articles and discussion led the steering committee members to identify "accountability" as an emerging framework for health services research, health policy, and health care delivery. It is hoped that the conference will position accountability as the organizing force to improve health care delivery, and motivate participants and their respective organizations to accept the challenge raised by the conference theme. The overall 2003 conference objective is to disseminate current research activities, results, and application of findings by health plans, purchasers, and the research community. As secondary objectives to the overall dissemination focus, 2003 conference sessions will: explore how healthcare policy makers use research to increase accountability in health care; examine how to effectively translate research findings into appropriate health care policies that enhance quality of health care delivery and promote accountability among all stakeholders in health care; and assess the impact of policy decisions on clinical practice and medical management.